This is a blog for Texas State students taking FCS 4347 (Family Policy) to be able to post their weekly reading assignment (3 newspaper articles about issues or policies that effect individuals and families) and to write their reactions, opinions and implications of the articles.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Guard Commander Asks Texas AG for Legal Opinio

5. Why is this important to families/individuals?
It is important because same-sex couples who are in the Texas National Guard are not receiving military benefits since gay marriage is banned in Texas. All married couples must apply for benefits in the military and since gay marriage is not considered "real" in this state there are many questions that need to be addressed. If same-sex couple don't get the benefits a married couple does while being in the military it just becomes an issue for those families because there are many benefits they are being denied of.

6. My views:
I think Greg Abbott should just grant permission to let the
applications go through for these couples. It is unfair for our armed forces
who are part of the LGBTQ community to be denied of the benefits all the heterosexual
couples get, they all work just as hard. I think this is something that should
be addressed by the federal government and make gay marriage legal nationwide,
we would not have to deal with so many troubles that our LBGTQ citizens have to
face daily. I applaud San Antonio for outlawing discrimination based on sexual
orientation, which I thought was something that was universal, and perhaps the
GOP should take notes on this. Texas is not the great state everyone says it is
and one the biggest reasons why that is true is because the representatives of
this state cannot open their eyes and see the reality that things are changing
and it is time for some change in this state. Our armed forces should not be
denied of the benefits the government offers them just because they married a
same- sex person many heterosexuals abuse these rights, and I know people who
are in the military and got married because of these benefits, but these
couples who married because they wanted to and were brave to go against what
this state thinks get turned away? This is absurd and should be addressed soon.